Karnataka CM plays minority card to shield KJ George

The CM of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adithyanath is facing a case under IPC 307, Siddaramaiah said.

Siddaramaiah

Mysuru: Rushing to defend his cabinet colleague and Bengaluru development minister K.J. George, CM Siddaramaiah said BJP leaders were targeting him in the DySP M.K. Ganapathi suicide case because he belongs to the minority community.

Speaking to mediapersons at Mysuru airport, Mr Siddaramaiah said, “Why are they asking for his resignation? There have been several FIRs against Mr B.S. Yeddyurappa related to cheating, forgery and denotification. The CM of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adithyanath is facing a case under IPC 307. What moral right does Mr Yeddyurappa have to demand his resignation? The Apex Court has only handed over the case to CBI for further investigation based on the petition filed by Ganapathi’s father Kushalappa. The Supreme Court has not made any observation against Mr George, it has said the CBI is at liberty to start the case afresh or continue with the old FIR. They have continued with the old FIR. The FIR is not a chargesheet. So the question of resigning does not arise at all. He has already resigned once on moral grounds,” he said.

To a question on the BJP’s plans to corner the ruling party at the winter session in Belagavi, he said, “If they boycott the session, it means they are against the policies and laws we are coming up with. We are ready to face them. During the ten working days in the session, we will discuss the problems of North Karnataka, we will pass several laws including those on reservation in promotion and the anti-superstition bill. We are giving rights to people who lived in revenue or forest land. Will Yeddyurappa who wants people to continue in the same condition (Yatha sthithi vaadigalu), understand all these?” he questioned.

To the allegation made by JD(S) leader Mr A.H. Vishwanath that he had entered into a secret pact with pro-Hindu organizations, he said, “Mr Vishwanath has lost his mental balance. I have stopped reacting to his statements,” he said.

Meanwhile after felicitating CM Siddaramaiah, the Brahmanara Mahasabha in Mysuru demanded a board for the Brahmin community on the lines of those set up in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and land for a students hostel of the community. Mr Siddaramaiah said, “A separate board is difficult to form. Boards can be formed only for backward class communities. I know that there are poor in the Brahmin community. We will come up with good programmes for them.”